Summary
Humans are social animals, yearning for connections with their fellows. As much as a great single-player campaign might hook gamers, nothing can compare to the fun of playing, and hopefully winning, with friends. Sadly, couch co-op hasfallen to the wayside in recent yearsdue to ease of fully online co-op and play sessions.
With the split-screen feature of local co-op often leading to lag and other issues, many developers opt to forgo couch co-op in favor of online connectivity. There are a few games that let players have their cake and eat it too, however. Accounting for the quality of the co-op experience over the broader reception to the gameplay, consider these thebest games that offer simultaneous couch and online co-op.
Mario Kartis a strange one because it’s obviously a fantastic multiplayer series, but it is testing the limits a bit to call it co-op, with players usually more invested in actively spiting their friends. The game does feature two team modes though —in particular, the battle mode— and it’s hard to beat it as an experience with friends.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis easily the best in the series asNintendohas continued to support and expand well beyond its initial launch, featuring by far the most comprehensive collection of tracks, playable characters, and vehicle customization options in series history.
Not to keep dunking onNintendo’smascot,Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Furyis a fantastic platformer and is playable across the full campaign in a variety of multiplayer options. Like all Mario titles, it has a high bar of quality and is both challenging and accessible for platforming fans.
There are a couple of inkling problems with the co-op, though, in how player characters' mass directly impacts each other, leading to friends being in the way more often than not — particularly in the faster-paced late game — and if playing with the full complement of four players. Add to that, running, shooting, and picking up and throwing other players are all mapped to the same button.It is a bit of a recipe for chaos.
It’s crazy how longCastle Crashershas endured with its fairly basic premise and combat, but it remains just as fun and addictive a way to kill a few hours with a group of friends as ever. For those uninitiated,Castle Crashersis a 2D side-scrolling beat ‘em up full of outlandish characters and animations.
It’s a classic genre that’s all but vanished from modern gaming. Unlike most of its contemporaries,Castle Crashersdoesn’t subsist on nostalgia alone. With a roguelike level-up system, it offers endless fun to revisit its environments and wreck some fools.
The Escapists 2presents a series of sandbox-style prisons and tasks the player withfinding a way to escape. Players will need to follow routines, craft useful items, and uncover hidden routes to one of multiple escape plans for each prison.
Most prisons can be tackled cooperatively, meaning players can split tasks between each other to move more quickly and better cover their tracks. There are even a few co-op-specific prisons that require multiple players to complete.
TheLittle Big Planetseries originally differentiated itself from its competitors with a focus on community, building, and sharing levels — and with co-op play built into its level design. With those servers now sadly gone, fans should be pleased to knowSackboy: A Big Adventurecontinues in that vein with combo co-op options.
Unlike some aforementioned platformers,Sackboy: A Big Adventurewas built with co-op in mind, comfortably accommodating multiple players throughout the whole adventure and offering a good variety of co-op-specific sections and secrets.
This one will test the meaning of the word cooperation.Overcookedis a hilarious party game about trying to get dishes out as fast as possible in a series of insane kitchens that somebody apparently thought was a good idea.Overcookedisbuilt for friends, although players will consistently be in each other’s way, rushing through narrow walkways to put out fires or wash dishes.
Once players can get into a good rhythm working together, they will discover optimal ways to chase those high scores in a satisfying, if frenetic, challenge.Overcooked: All You Can Eatis a combination of all the content from across the series (so far) — the complete package for any newcomers looking to jump on board.
A true triumph for dedicated fans,Divinity Original Sin 2was the pinnacle of digital alternatives toDungeons & Dragons. There may be another that’s recently overshadowed this role-playing classic, butOriginal Sin 2remains a robust system and an engaging experience for a group of friends.
The game honestly works best with others, and likeD&D,players will want a balanced party for the best chance of success,so cooperation is key. With up to 75 hours worth of content on a single playthrough, it is one of the largest co-op campaigns available to gamers.
Larian Studiosbested their magnum opusDivinity: Original Sin 2with the release of the genre-defining classicBaldur’s Gate 3, winning top spot withD&Dfans — and a spot on this list as an even more complete co-op experience. The sheer scope ofBaldur’s Gate 3is near unfathomable, an impressive technical and narrative achievement that swept the gaming awards in 2023.
Again, RPG players will be familiar with the trappings oftrying to create a balanced partyand undertaking a series of quests — something best achieved as a shared moment with friends — andLarian Studiosvery much builtBaldur’s Gate 3with that fanbase in mind. It’s practically perfect in everything it sets out to do.
